Last month, we premiered the video for ‘Welcome‘, the debut single from Orcadian singer and guitarist Aidan Moodie, also the frontman of Scottish folk favourites Gnoss and guitarist in ‘folk- supergroup’ Manran. He has now followed up that single with a darker companion piece titled Old Yew (out today), a dreamlike look at fate, change, and wasting time, the video for which we have the pleasure of premiering below.
‘Old Yew’ continues Aidan’s attempts to twist and distort away from what might be expected of folk song, the track growing from a single undulating guitar riff into a crescendo of distorted drum machines, synth pads, and double-tracked drum-kit patterns (played by the incredible Lauren MacDonald of HEISK/Lionadh/Scarlett Randle). As with ‘Welcome’, Aidan has taken a unique approach to his solo work, while the final shape of his ideas may be influenced by more alternative genres, the result is refreshingly original and engaging. The same can be said of his lyrics, his verses are imaginative and often symbolic and questioning. Even within the space of two singles, it feels like we’ve been taken on a journey and we’re looking forward to hearing more.
Says Aidan: “I’m loving exploring the theme of change in my songwriting at the minute, we had a lot of fun trying to reflect that through the production. This song is half an attempt to goad myself into working harder and half about dealing with this past year, I guess. My favourite music has always been cathartic so I went for that vibe head on. It’s pretty gloomy.”
While he states it’s pretty gloomy, it does end on a note of hope…
Met a woodcarver beneath the old yew.
Singing songs along her knife’s edge
Sunlit tunes I’d never heard before.
Carved a bright dawn from a month of all gloom
Right beneath the old yew.
Old Yew is also our Song of the Day.
‘Old Yew’ was recorded, produced, and mixed by Ewen White at his home studio in the West-End of
Glasgow, and mastered by Chris Waite at Gran’s House Studio.
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Photo Credit: Rory Barnes